CONSISTENCY REMAINS KEY
Consecutive runs help build momentum
NBEATEN runs can boost morale and confidence throughout clubs both on and off the field.
But the top 20 clubs who produced unbeaten runs in the last campaign show a varying success rate of actually achieving victories. So, just imagine the joy of Blyth Spartans supporters as they achieved a run of 11 consecutive wins! Although Barrow remained unbeaten for the most consecutive games, they drew nearly half of their excellent total of 25 matches. Whereas Blyth Spartans actually won all 11 of their scoring run and Slough Town only drew one of their similar free-scoring games. Ebbsfleet United finished the season in great form, finishing just two points behind the champions Maidenhead United and winning promotion through the play-offs. They finished the season with an unbeaten 21-game sequence in which no club scored more than one goal against them. The clubs with the best unbeaten runs seem to be reasonably equally spread between the six senior leagues, except for National League North who only provided one representative in the top 20. Leiston started their Ryman Premier Division season brilliantly being unbeaten during their first 15 fixtures, but this sequence didn’t last after mid-October.
Confidence
The remainder of the season produced another 15 victories, but a fall from the top of the league to finish in seventh place.
Obviously, for a club to remain unbeaten they need goals and although scoring doesn’t necessarily mean victory, consis- tent scoring breeds confidence and high spirits on and off the field. Star strikers usually get the headlines and those who consistently get on the scoresheet are really valuable and do deserve the credit. This list of strikers shows who enjoyed consistent scoring runs and just imagine their confidence when they score for the fifth consecutive game. Dan Maguire enjoyed a very special campaign. He had already claimed two hat-tricks before his record nine-match run began on January 17. Goals in eight victories followed, and Dan’s last goal came in a 2-1 defeat to Spennymoor Town. Maguire’s nine games was the longest individual scoring sequence but AFC Fylde’s golden boy Danny Rowe achieved four excellent scoring runs with goals scored in 5,4,4 and 4 games, Dave Tarpey recorded 5,3,3 and 4 and Ricky Miller celebrated a creditable 5,4 and 3. Starting the season on top form always helps. Elliott Benyon scored in Wealdstone’s first four games and although Jamal Lowe did take one game to warm up, he then scored in the next five games for Hampton & Richmond Borough, helping them to remain in the top five for the first half of the season.